Jezabelle Cormio

Anatomy of a Cloud

The MAXXI gallery by Zaha Hadid is a beautiful and inspiring building in the centre of Rome. It's

flowing lines and organic shapes contrast perfectly with the harsh, sharp edges of concrete and

steel, giving the building an undeniable presence in the Flaminio neighbourhood.

Throughout the gallery there is by no means an absence of light. Hadid found creative and

interesting ways to let it enter the space without distracting from the content. It is for this reason

that I chose to create the piece "Anatomy of a Cloud". I tried to showcase the immense size of

the main walkway by creating an object equally as large. Being installed just under the ceiling, it

dwarfs the people below. It would be made of an extremely thin and delicate material to highlight

the weightlessness of a cloud and also to allow for light to pass through and bring the colours to

life. The idea is that the cloud does not draw away from the rest of the building, but simply drifts

along with it; Catching the viewer’s eye in an unobtrusive way.

Jona Smulders Cohen

As I was walking around the MAXXI I got lost several times, and it gave a very weird sensation as though I was in a

different world, because there were no windows. It was as though I was completely shut down from the outside world,

which reminded me of the metal mazes by Richard Serra. He is an American sculptor who works with big sheets of

metal by shaping them and giving a sense of flow. This flowing effect is seen in the MAXXI's building too.

As the MAXXI itself has a flowing effect and it is like a labyrinth, I decided to make an actual labyrinth in the MAXXI.

This could be realized by hanging cloth from the ceiling down to the floor. So the cloth will follow the shape of the

building.

This project will also reflect a human body. As MAXXI has flowing shape of a body; this labyrinth could be the large

intestine and the people walking in it could be represented as "food" being digested by the MAXXI.

Riko Sobukawa

… a representation of fragmentation…

reality vs. dream , but also society vs. self.

The water represents a catalyst for growth…

…trying to reignite the jungle feel of the

whole space, and make the sterility and

purity of the space feel more accessible and

human essentially!

Monika Klavins

Beatrice Amati

Graham Martin

Preferred Misery

Animating MAXXI with participation of the audience

A Project Proposal by Cecilia Granara http://ceciliagranara.yolasite.com/

Preface

“The process of falling in love may be governed not by the intelligent sense of what is good for us but by

unconscious forces which cause us to get attached to someone with whom we can—like an addict—repeat a self

harming pleasure. And the exciting thought that that ‘this is the person for me’ may be, ironically, true, and yet true

only in that we have identified a potential source of our preferred misery…

"…A relationship does not start the day two people meet, it starts in the childhood of each partner. For it is long

before they meet that the template of their relationship is established. We learn to love as children. Or, more

accurately, we learn a style of relating which governs our adult behaviour when it comes to love. Central to this

thesis is the disturbing contention that we are generally unaware of this underlying style of relating—it governs our

adult behaviour without our noticing.

Take, for example, the case of a child who feels that it can never get its parents full attention except when, by being

annoying, it secures at least their irritation. This may establish a pattern which endures into adult life—in which the

closeness is equated with annoyance. Such a person might then, in adult relationships, unconsciously provoke their

partner so as to recreate childhood experience.”

John Armstrong , Conditions of Love: The Philosophy of Intimacy.

Introduction

It was in the Beaux Arts magazine issue no. 338, August 2012, entitled "Les Artistes et Le

Sexe" that the MAXXI Museum in Rome was described as an architectural form suggestive of the female

reproductive organs. Enveloping, complex, convoluted, curvaceous, its space as exciting as it is complex to install

works in. Under this lens I began to think of what sort of project could be appropriate for a space that offered such

a specific aura. My research in interactive and relational art at St Martin's, and under the guidance of Nicolas

Bourriaud at Beaux Arts, has helped me develop a specific project for the challenge that Zaha Hadid's vision of a

contemporary museum represents.

The project proposal Couples are invited to write quick scripts of an argument/fight they normally have with one of their parents. Their

partner (or ex partner, they can invite exes) has to act out the part of the parent. According to the script and the

space in which the couple and the artist find themselves, the artist makes impromptu costumes and props. These

serve as "toys" which ease participants into thinking this is a non-serious situation. At one point the couple is

instructed to stop reading the script and try to resolve the argument by improvisation. The artist intervenes with a

series of already prepared props which they hand to the couple according to how they are dealing with the

situation: toy weapons if they manifest aggression, comical items if they are trying to deal with it through humour,

megaphones if they are raising their voice, gags if one of them starts being silent, tissues if they become tearful,

whips, chains, handcuffs, crowns, swords, anything symbolic etc etc etc.

Intention

This site-specific psychodrama can serve as an exercise to exorcise the pseudo-perverse dynamic which John

Armstrong's passage underlines. The project can be used as a platform to discuss the influence of the roles of

Mother and Father, in relationships. In an Italian society it is particularly important to dispel the taboos and

stereotypes of parental roles to give space to genuine dialogue. The project can serve to underline the frustration

in communication that results from the social barriers that the prescribed roles in families often have to deal with.

Relation to the MAXXI spaces

The performances can take place anywhere in the MAXXI. The performance, with its Freudian connotations, is

appropriate in a museum that symbolizes a return to the womb, and carries with it the complex aesthetic of

organic forms within which ordinary people must come together to create. The space would influence the

performance, and the performance, with the participation of the audience, would transform the complex and

multifaceted MAXXI into a platform for open interpretation, hopefully provoking thought around the issues of

family, relationships, love, and conflict.

Short Bibliography

Armstrong, John: Conditions of Love, The Philosophy of Intimacy. 2002. Penguin Publishers, London, England.

Bourriaud, Nicolas: The Radicant, 2009. Lucas & Sternberg, New York, U.S.A.

Les Artistes et Le Sexe, Unknown Writer, Beaux Arts Magazine issue no. 338 August 2012. Under article

“Architectures Erogenes”, p. 72. Preview available at http://library.madeinpresse.fr/samples/MPPO2w77mP6M-f

Cecilia Granara

Echoes from the Temple of Art

a study in occupation/projection

Description

This entire gallery would become a flooded maze. The walls of the maze would be scratched with the names of artists

who had previously exhibited, as if graffitied. The water that floods the maze, which would be approximately a foot to a foot and

a half in depth, would not be standing but flowing in different currents throughout the maze’s pathways; each current dyed with

an inky pigment a different colour. Currents would mingle, merge and diverge as the pathways of the maze did. Viewers entering

the maze would discard there clothing and footwear and put on full length white robes and remain barefooted. As the viewers

navigated their way through the maze, the pigments in the water would rise through the white robes and form bands of different

pigments through the scientific process of chromatography (I hope).

Conceptual Component

Terminology:

Firstly, the terminology I will use should be given some explanation. The term echo in the context of an artwork (e.g. the

historical echo) indicates an artwork’s influence occurring beyond the spatial and momentary confines of an exhibition. Secondly

the term occupation/projection is a term indicating an artwork’s propensity to both occupy a space and an artistic niche, and also

to project beyond that space and niche. This occupation/projection is a combined term as artworks both occupy and project into

alternative spaces and niches and occurs because artworks must surely influence beyond their singular occupation and project

concepts into the consciousness of viewers.

Finally, occupation/projection is historical – artworks occupancy of space is perhaps not solely limited to a singular period

of time (the ‘exhibition term’) but echoes outwardly from that point and leaves some historical occupation in the gallery. Likewise

artworks perhaps project into the future of the gallery space and interfere with a gallery space’s future occupants.

Briefing:

The primary aim of this project is to question and explore whether gallery spaces do contain echoes of

occupation/projection from artworks formerly exhibited in the space. It also draws on Zara Hadid’s (the architect of the MAXXI)

ideas concerning flux and flow to examine if occupation/projection is static or dynamic. Static occupation/projection is any

influence that is confined historically to the singular time and space of exhibition; dynamic occupation/projection is any influence

that is exerted beyond the confines of an exhibition into the future of the gallery space, and outside of the space also.

Interpretation:

Several aspects of the flooded maze must be considered. Firstly the maze itself: a maze must surely occupy and

manipulate space – viewers are confined to a particular, static space. On the other hand, viewers must move through the maze

acting as a dynamic force. Through the act of viewing and being part of the installation, viewers can be considered a flow of

occupation/projection: undeniably these viewers are being influenced by the artwork and therefore become the medium into

which the artwork can project.

The pigmented water reinforces this concept while tempering the physicality of the maze with a more intangible aspect,

which is important to an exploration of occupation/projection. The water is a symbol of flux and is itself continuously changing,

while remaining a static entity. The water merges and diverges with the pathways of the maze, indicating the variable nature of

projection/occupation. Unlike the pathways of the maze itself, these flows of water are not physical matter but an intangible (or

semi-tangible) transmission of energy.

The white robes, pigments of the water and scratted names of artists on the maze walls create a second layer of

symbolism. The white robes initially convey a sense of rituality to the viewers. Bare feet integrate the viewer’s fully into the flow

of the water, therefore the flow of occupation/projection. The rising stains on the robes of pigment suggest artworks

occupying/projecting permanently into the viewer’s consciousness. Finally the scratched names of artists on the maze walls

should reinforce the idea that it is the echoes of previous artworks in this particular space that are being explored.

These disparate elements should convey a sense of dual flow: on the one hand a physical flow of viewers through the

maze, who are spatially manipulated by the pathways of the maze, and on the other hand the viewer’s acting as a symbolic flow.

This leads to manifestations of occupation/projection on different levels, both established through the viewers’ navigation of the

maze. It should be noted, of course, that the entire artwork is symbolic itself of the echoes of previous artworks, indicated by the

scratched graffiti.

With thanks to Sam Nordland for help in developing this project.

Fergus Johnson

My idea for the Maxxi 'Gallery Dreaming' project was to link this to my own theme: 'fear and phobias'. I thought of having various different sized and positioned spiders of large dimensions in different places inside the gallery. They would be made of a very light material that would enable them to float easily in mid-air, they would also be covered in a layer of varnish. This would make their surface smooth, which would reflect the light off and create interesting shadows on the long legs and body. Some would be hanging from the ceiling and some crawling on the side walls. They would create some interesting reactions in the spectators, who are the ones that bring these creatures to life inside the MAXXI, as they bring to life the gallery itself.

Jennifer Lewis

The idea that I have developed is a biomorphic mass running through MAXXI like a stream of water coming from a river, braided in with shapes from the wind and smoke. Rich and surreal pulsating and embracing, pressuring like warm wind. This installation/sculpture idea would take over the opposite side of the windows and reach the floor without blocking the way. There are three possible methods to make this sculpture: plaster, wood and clay, which would all three give, a very different effect. Plaster would be the most sterile of the three, white and more minimalistic but more subjected to damage, wood would personally be the favourite, a warm coloured wood with natural grain which is more similar to the sculpture itself and organic. Clay would the heaviest choice but also more versatile in colours

Leda Yang

The installation consists of a tunnel made entirely out of clothes sewn together. The viewer is expected to walk through it after having taken h/er shoes off. When empty, this flaccid 'organic' tube is like an empty MAXXI- like an empty shell, or the skin that an animal has shed: functionless. However, as soon as the viewers enter it and have to make their way across as if through a jungle, placing limbs and heads out of any sleeves or holes they find, it gains a new and bilateral life: giving interior and exterior experience. The exterior experience presents a newly formed 'monster', as legs, arms and heads appear and disappear, and as the entire tunnel begins to shake with inner activity. The project also recalls Pistoletto's 1967 'Venere degli Stracci' or Kaarin Kaikkonen's 2012 'Towards Tomorrow' installation both recently exhibited at MAXXI.

Beatrice Bonafini

My dream for a site specific MAXXI project would be giving power to the MAXXI inside. Having visited the

gallery and seeing the building painted with these muted colours like grey and black, made me want to add

these highlighted powerful brush strokes. They would be cast from coloured resin and suspended on or near

the walls and other surfaces. This idea links in with my own work as an IB Art student.

Leonardo Catalani

Ludovica Pototschnig

Title of project: Sea Out The little sketch is meant to represent an interractive room between the audience and the space. The walls of the space are meant to be covered in sand whilst the floor is meant to have a layer of glass in which a representation of sunlight shines out of it. This ground light (representing the sun) must also represent the different colours of light through out the day. example :early morning light till evening light. There should also be audio sound of the sea playing in the room. Since this project is called Gallery Dreaming I thought it would be interesting to have a representation of sunlight coming from the ground, so the Idea is walking on "day light" and instead of looking on to the sea (as you can hear it) you are looking on to beach sand. Hence the idea of it being a strange dream that is now reality.

Marijke Everts

The theme of trees came to me, due to the fact that I went to Greece over the summer. I went to the island of Lesvos where there are around 2 million olive trees. However, I wanted to make it look interesting. I like strong, pure colours and it attracts my attention, and so I am hoping that it does the same for other people and they come over a look at it. It is also represents the different colours of the world coming together in one common form of life.

Il tema degli alberi è venuto da me, a causa del fatto che sono andato in Grecia durante l'estate. Sono andato verso l'isola di Lesbo, dove ci sono circa 2 milioni di alberi di ulivo. Tuttavia ho voluto farlo sembrare interessante. Mi piacciono i colori e che attira la mia attenzione, e quindi spero che fa la stessa cosa per gli altri e venire un'occhiata. E 'inoltre rappresenta i diversi colori del mondo che si uniscono in una forma di vita comune.

Nigel Grove

Olivia Racionzer

The floating, seemingly impossible staircases of the MAXXI always remind me of Piranesi’s

Carceri d'invenzione (or 'Imaginary Prisons’). Not that the MAXXI is a prison – just the opposite in

fact. As Zaha Hadid herself says: ‘…the museum is ‘not a object-container', but rather a

campus for art.’ That is certainly how our students have perceived it.

Greg Morgan